Word.ws English Dictionary

Sorry, Charlie

Sorry, Charlie is the alternative letter-case form of sorry.

Meaning of sorry

Interjection

  1. Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.
    • Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
    Synonyms:
    soz
  2. Said as a request to excuse one's unintentional behaviors.
    • Oops! Sorry!
    Synonyms:
    excuse me
  3. Said as a request to pass somebody.
    • Sorry! Coming through!
    Synonyms:
    excuse me
  4. Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
    • Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
    Synonyms:
    I beg your pardon?, I'm sorry?, say again, come again, excuse me?
  5. Used to correct oneself in speech.
    • There are four—sorry, five—local branches of the store.
  6. Used as a hedge.
    • Sorry, but I don't care what you think.

See all 12 meanings of sorry

Interjection capitalized: sorry, Charlie

  1. (US) Used to express polite rejection or to inform someone that they have missed out on an opportunity.

Origin of Sorry, Charlie

The phrase originated from a 1960s television advertising campaign for StarKist canned tuna.

Questions about Sorry, Charlie

What does Sorry, Charlie mean?
Sorry, Charlie means used to express polite rejection or to inform someone that they have missed out on an opportunity.
What is Sorry, Charlie the alternative letter-case form of?
Sorry, Charlie is the alternative letter-case form of sorry.
What part of speech is Sorry, Charlie?
Sorry, Charlie is an interjection.

Words near Sorry, Charlie in the dictionary

  1. Sorry Day
  2. Sorry Days
  3. sorry for oneself
  4. sorry I'm late
  5. sorry not sorry
  6. Sorry, Charlie
  7. sorry, not sorry
  8. sorry-ass
  9. sorry-not-sorry
  10. sorryful
  11. sorrying

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: Sorry, Charlie (page history and authors); sorry, Charlie (page history and authors); sorry (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “Sorry, Charlie.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sorry%2C_charlie. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.